Just Friends?
by seghen
Summary: It was not a crush, so much, nor was it love...yet. But there was something there that she could feel, something rather undeniable. Denial can only get you so far.
1. Chapter 1

**This just came to me, just something that I need to get out in Harry Potter form. This is HBP non-compliant.**

The fake smiles were killing her slowly, though she was the one who was offering them. It was almost painful to laugh and joke with everyone else now. It hurt to grin in her usual manner, though no one seemed to see through her thin, ill-conceived facade.

It felt as though she had liked him forever. No, it was more than like...but less than love. There was not enough there, enough history, to be love. He had never shown her much favor, though they were on friendly terms. Basically he was a friend of a friend of a friend, it was that kind of relationship. She was able to speak to him now, joke with him and make fun of both Hermione and Ron. She was a buddy to him, not a girlfriend, not someone to ultimately fall in love with.

She laughed harshly as Ron tripped over his own massive feet and collided into Hermione's back. Harry nudged her and whispered into her ear, "He should get clown shoes for those feet." She giggled, not knowing what a clown was but knowing that this was the reaction that was expected.

He draped his arm casually over his girlfriend as she spoke to him over the clamor, "I reckon that Ron'll never grow a pair and ask her out." Ginny's manner was guarded, and Harry nodded wisely. It was evident that his girlfriend, Ashley, did not care about their interaction; she knew that Ginny was no threat.

Ginny noticed the arm and winced slightly. "You two look cute together. At least Harry had the stones to ask you out, eh?" Ashley laughed slightly, a tinkling and true laugh, flipping her mane of gorgeous wavy blond hair over her shoulder.

"Sometimes I think he Imperiused me into it," she teased gently, turning her dark eyes to her boyfriend lovingly.

Harry shrugged off the accusation good-naturedly before correcting it, "No, I got Hermione to brew up a batch of Amortentia and slipped it into this poor, innocent woman's pumpkin juice." He faked a look of sorrow before breaking out into a smirk.

"It does seem a bit more reasonable," Ginny agreed. "Her personality's the same, now she's just been tricked into actually liking you Harry." She could feel Justin Finch-Fletchy smiling at her. She knew that he had feelings harbored for her, and he was not bad looking by any means, but he was no Harry...

"Ah, so you're taking his side, now?" Ashley faked offense as Harry brushed a tendril of hair off of her face. "Always obsessed with my hair, aren't you?" she teased, laying a hand on the top of his hair and mussing it up a bit. "How's that?" She looked to Ginny for an opinion.

She shrugged slightly. "No worse than usual, really," She commented, observing his disheveled appearance lightly.

Ginny could never talk badly about Ashley in good spirit. She was a nice girl, kind, and beautiful, Harry's...it was the last part that truly got her. The fact that Ashley had him had what she could never have.

It was not a crush anymore, there was a bit more to it than that...but it certainly wasn't love. She put on a good mask, smiling and laughing jovially, never ceasing in her impressions of Ron, standing loyally by Harry's side, who was now alongside Ashley.

She was not even considered to be a third wheel. Just Ginny. Just a friend. Just...just. She hated how she relied on him to define her. How she was never sure who she was until she was talking with him, listening to him. She felt pathetic; she was better than this...but she put on a good show. Never showed her feelings for him, though perhaps he noticed how her gaze lingered, how her friendly embrace seemed tighter than usual, how she dismissed any possible suitor.

She hated being this way, but she could not help but be near him, even if they were just friends. She hated how she needed to justify her feelings, all of the fantasies about him breaking down and admitting his feelings for her; hoping that he would kiss her, just once, hold her close to him. But these dreams were just that, dreams. She knew that they would never come true, she would always be "just a friend: Ginny the reliable." Or else Ginny the entirely sexless shoulder to cry on. Ginny...one of the guys, only missing a major appendage...

She knew that Harry didn't torture her on purpose, he never lead her on. He showed his true feelings for her, and he loved her. Just not in the desired way.

"How long have the two of you been going out, anyway?" she asked nonchalantly, looking to Ashley for the answer.

She smiled bashfully before replying, "Less than a month." She admitted, "Hermione introduced us." Ginny nodded, signifying that she had heard her.

"Remind me to kill Hermione when the opportunity comes by," Ginny thought to herself, making a mental note.

"Are you and that Thomas boy going out?" Ashley asked innocently.

Ginny shook her head. "No, Dean and I just split a few weeks ago." The memory was not painful; she liked Dean and he was one hell of a kisser, but she never loved him, exactly.

"Yeah, he's still moping around. Ginny's a little vixen." He playfully nudged her and, for a single instant, Ashley's smile flickered. Ginny was nearly positive that she had simply imagined it because in a moment it was back full force, her two rows of glistening white teeth nearly blinding her.

"We got into a lot of rows. He treated me like a baby," she pouted comically, crossing her arms beneath her breasts and allowing her red hair to fall to her face. Out of habit Harry reached out and brushed it behind her ears.

All outside noise in the common room seemed to vanish and all that Ginny was aware of was the piercing stare she was receiving from Ashley, and Harry's dumbfounded silence. Ginny faked a yawn and made hasty excuse to remove herself from the uncomfortable situation before rushing up to her dormitory with Harry's touch burning on her face.

"We're just friends!" she called into her pillow, and not even she believed it anymore.

**This is based on a true-ish story, I hope y'all liked**

**it! THANK YOU SO MUCH, JADEDNIHILIST, MY EXCELLENT BETA! and im posting chapter numero uno of the third installment of Seeing What Should Not Be Seen in approximately five minutes. took me two hours, but i did it! i revised it and am going to post it as-is, just this chapter because i want to get it out now.**


	2. Chapter 2

**This was originally supposed to be a one shot, but I feel obliged to write a continuation seeing as something write-worthy happened...I mean in, er, the story...haha. I Just translated an actual conversation into English-speak. Sorry that I had to add two OCs but they were necessary for the plot's sake, seeing as the story never explained who Ginny's roommates were.**

"Damn."

"Bloody hell."

"Damn...again."

Ginny rolled her eyes and crossed her arms tightly as she observed both Cate and Mitali, entirely slack-jawed. "Remind me again why you're exchanging obscenities?" Her friends exchanged simultaneous glances. Ginny marveled at the fact that Cate had never succumbed to the gossiping friends circle. She had the giggle and the questioning down pat.

"You...Harry...?" Cate was not nearly as vocal about this as she would have been normally. The shock was just setting in for her.

"I know it's weird, innit?" Mitali answered with a confused glance towards Ginny. "Might as well lock me up in one of those Muggle places where they

keep animals and post 'Girl in like with boy who will never like her back,'" she thought sullenly, suddenly realizing how long a sign that would have to be.

This comment brought her out of her reverie, "I told you a month ago, Mit!" Her reply was indignant.

Mitali had the grace to look embarrassed for a moment before explaining herself, "But I couldn't jerk you about it, Gin. Not with Cate around." She cast a sideward glance towards the other roommate.

"You told Mit and not me?" asked Cate. Ginny looked towards Mitali fleetingly before speaking.

"Mit squeezed it out of me, Cate. And the fact that you're shagging one of his mates is no consolation." Cate resembled a guppy for a moment, opening and closing her mouth bewilderedly.

"But Harry? I thought you liked him in first and second

year and...Harry? I wouldn't have guessed. Not anymore. Not after Dean, or Ashley for that matter!" Mitali seemed to suddenly recognize this problem as well.

"They won't last," she said decidedly, though there was something in her voice that indicated that she was not entirely sure,

however, Cate was quick to agree.

"Yeah, they're cute and all," she sent an apologetic look towards Ginny before continuing, "But it's not something that'll last, at least not forever."

Ginny suddenly looked up sharply. "Don't tell Seamus, Cate. I will murder you." There was something in her demeanor that suggested that although she was smiling she was not joking.

Cate seemed to struggle with herself for a moment. "Not tell him? He won't care...well; he'll probably react worse than me. He wouldn't believe it, I can see it now," she admitted, looking slightly nostalgic.

"He'll tell Harry, and I'm perfectly happy having what remains of my pride intact," Ginny said coldly.

Cate shook her head quickly. "No, I agree

that would be for the best. The last thing that anyone wants is to do feed Harry's ego anymore. The fact that he's 'The-Boy-Who-Lived' and is going with Ashley is enough for any guy." This didn't seem to persuade her.

Mitali smartly intervened before the discussion became a full-blown

war, "You were good at hiding it, especially when Ash and Harry were all over each other." Her tact was so abominable as to be non-existent.

Ginny shoved her head to her pillow and pounded on the sides angrily, yelling something inaudible.

"Care to repeat that, love?" Cate asked with mock sweetness. Ginny lifted her head up and composed herself.

"She is so bloody gorgeous! With the hair and the stomach and the eyes! Merlin, how's someone to compete? And she's nice! I would love to hate her, if only she was just a bitch!" Mitali struggled with herself for a moment before fighting back a smile.

Mitali struggled with herself for a moment before fighting back a smile. "All this time you've been jealous?" she asked, her voice an octave too high.

Ginny sighed, straightening her nightgown. "No...yes...well, kind of. It's difficult to say." A look of irritation flitted across Cate's face for an instant and Ginny had to question whether or not it was just her imagination.

"What about Ashley? You two get on well, do you even like her?" Mitali wondered aloud. Ginny looked slightly bashful, biting her lip in

a mock-innocent manner.

"Well...I like her, I mean she's nice and all. But I guess there are a few things that bother me about her that wouldn't normally," she admitted in defeat.

Cate furrowed her brow slightly before responding. "What, like how she's constantly snogging Harry?"

Ginny shook her head and sighed. "Like her voice." Mitali and Cate could not help but let out a snort of laughter. "It's just so high-pitched and sweet, she can't always be so damned happy," she snapped, annoyed with their childish antics.

"Maybe..." Mitali began, straightening her midnight black hair thoughtfully. "She's always so happy because she's the one who's shagging Harry." Cate let out a roar of laughter and rolled over on her side, muffling the sound slightly.

Ginny sent a sharp look over to the two of them with a weak smile. "I hate both of you." She then joined in on the laughter, though halfheartedly.

**The next chappie will have more action. I just wanted to get that out.**


End file.
